Joe Hockey is pressing his G20 colleagues to make firm commitments to global growth targets.

AAP: Alan Porritt

As the G20 summit enters its second full day, Treasurer Joe Hockey has been making the case for tough decisions that could come as part of the Federal Government's reform agenda.

Mr Hockey is using the G20 meetings as a platform to talk up issues such as the ageing population, stimulating growth, cutting unemployment, reducing red tape and encouraging infrastructure spending in a post-financial crisis world.

"There is a general mood of intention to deliver real outcomes," the Treasurer said.

"I have a great sense of hope that this G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting will be able to lay down a real and tangible framework for an increase in the growth of the global economy over the next five years."

However, he acknowledged that some of his international counterparts are reluctant to sign on to his plan for a global economic growth target.

"I understand that there is some reluctance from some to have a goal or a target or an ambition, but we need to reach high to deliver more," he said.

"There needs to be a tangible plan presented by each jurisdiction that helps to achieve our collective goal.

"We all have to do the heavy lifting ... and we need to back up any goals we have with real and tangible pathways."

Treasurer Hockey also said he would be pursuing the challenges posed by an ageing population, and the need to increase infrastructure spending.

"An ageing population is something that is not unique to Australia," he said.

"It's common to most of the developed world.

"We've got to recognise that there are unique costs associated with that and you've got to ask whether the current system is able to cope with that on a sustainable basis.

"If it's not able to cope with that over the medium and longer term, what are we going to do about it?"

He also said that involving private enterprise in infrastructure spending will be a crucial subject of discussion.

"There will be a working dinner focussing on infrastructure and how we can better facilitate private investment into infrastructure," he said.